flying out of the united kingdom? better power up your device

Those of you with iPhones know the pain of how unreliable the batteries on the phones sometimes are, in many cases going from a 70% charge to a 10% charge in a matter of minutes, particularly in the very cold weather. Well, if you plan on flying out of the United Kingdom anytime soon, you had better be sure that your iPhone is powered up – so don’t forget to carry a cable.

According to the Guardian UK online, “Airline passengers entering and leaving the UK on potentially any routes, including transatlantic ones and those connecting with mainland Europe, will be expected to be show that electronic devices in their hand luggage can be powered up…in response to warnings of a credible threat, the U.S .Transportation Security Administration announced on Sunday that passengers using airports with direct flights to the US could be made to switch on their mobile phones and other electronic devices to prove to security officials that the devices do not contain explosives.”

These measures also extend to certain other international airports with direct flights to the U.S., and should you not be able to power up your device during the course of a search, it will likely be taken from you.

The scramble to find the elusive power outlet at the airport has just gotten tougher.